Fountain pen



Jim. 6,1931. F. B. CHAMBERLIN 1,787,896

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed July 8, 1929 mo AQZ/ Patented Jan. 6, 1931 rm: '3.cnmnmLm, or commrans, onro noun-ram rm:

"Application filed July 8,

This invention relates to improvements in fountain pens and has for its,primary object the provision of an improved mechanism, constituting apermanent part of the pen, for

I effecting the complete filling of the ink-holding reservoir of thepen.- In the ordinary fountain pen there is. provided a collapsiblesack, and the barrel of the pen is equipped with a sack collapsing andextending means.

I) It is a matter of common experience that this customary constructionin fountain pens does not permit of a complete filling of the inkholdingsack with a writing fluid and it is necessary at relatively frequentintervals to refill the pen with the writing fluid.

It is an outstanding object of the present inventionto eliminate theink-holdingsack from the barrel of the pen and to provide an improvedfilling mechanism consisting of a folding bulb at one end of the penarrel which folding bulb when actuated operates tov permit of the freeflow of ink into the elongated ink-holding chamber of the bar-, rel,permitting said chamberto be filled to its maximum capacity with thewriting fluid by providing the bulb with a novel type of valvemechanism, which is of such design that while ink is being drawn intothe barrel air is at the same time excluded, whereby through theexclusion of the air the maximum capacity of the chamber or barrel maybe used in receiving the writing fluid.

It is another object of the invention to provide a fountain pen whichwill not leak when being carried about the person and also one ofpositive yet inexpensive construction and wherein the pump mechanismdoes not add appreciably to the size of the pen or render the same bulkyor awkward to carry and manipulate.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction, combinations of elements and arrangements of partshereinafter tohe fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 isa view in vertical section taken through a-fountain penformed in accordance 1929. Serial R0. 378,1589. I f

with the principles of the present invention Figure 2 is an enlargedvertical sections view taken through thevpump mechanism of the pen anddisclosing the pump mechanism in a position admitting ink into thereceiving chamber of the pen barrel,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane indicated bytheline 3-3 of F ig-' ure 2,

Figure 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, y

gigure 5is a plan view of the disk valve, an c Figure 6 is a detail viewin side elevation thereof. I I c y Referring more particularly to thedrawings, wherein has een depicted one of the preferred embodiments ofmy invention, the numeral 1 designates the barrel of the pen. Thisbarrel may be formed from any of the customary materials employed in themanu facture of pens of this character and, also, may be of any desiredsha e, form or appearance, since. it is one of t e features of thepresent inventionthat while an improved type of filling mechanism hasbeen provided, yet the standard exterior construction of the pen isnotaffected thereby. The lower end of the barrel 1 is provided with theusual 11 point 2, and the ink guidingfeeder 3, the Fa t ter beingprovided with the usual channel or passage 4 by which the writingfluidmay be I conducted from the ink receiving chamber5 withinthe barrelin regulated quantities to the pen point. 1

The upper end of the barrel 1 is vprovided with. a normally closed wall6 and. extending longitudinally and axially through the chamber 5 andconnected with the wall 6 is a tube 7 of relatively smalldiaimeter. Thelower end of this tube terminates a short distance above the feeder 3,as shown in Figure 1. H

The wall 6 is exteriorly threaded as at 9 for the reception ofaninternally threaded cap section 10. When the pen is in ordinary use,as shown in Figure 1, the cap section is connected threadedly withthebarrel 1 so as to constitute in effect a continuation of said barrel. y

The cap section 10 is of sufficient size to provide a bulb compartment11 between the there is received a pump mechanism which in this instancecomprises a. folding bulb 13 formed from soft rubber or other materialpossessing equivalent flexible properties. This bulb has the bodyportion thereof provided with accordion pleats. The lower end of thebulb is secured by means of an adhesive or otherwise to an annular rib14 projectingv upwardly fgom the wall 6', while the upper portio n ofthebulb 13 is attached by a swivel connection to the inner surface of thewall I2, whereby when the cap section has been disconnected from itsthreaded engagement with the barrel pulsating, collapsing and expandingmovement may be 1mparted to the bulb or the purpose of securing apumpingaction.

Connected with the cap section and extending axially through the bulband into the upper end of the tube 7 is a guide stem 15. The upper endof this stem is headed as at 16 for connection with a disk 17 which isembedded in the wall 12 of the cap section, in order that the stem willconstitute a unitary part of the cap section for the purpose of guidingand controlling the movement of said cap section. The connection betweenthe stem 15 and the disk 17 in this instance is in the form of a keyhole slot 17, the larger portion of which is to one side of the axialcenter of the pen. In registering the head 16 of the stem with the larer portion of the key hole slot, the upper e ge portion of the bulb 13will be slightly compressed against the side of the cap 10, thus whenreleased due to the expanding nature of the rubber formin the bulb, thestem will be so positioned t atthe. head 16 of the stem will slide overthe narrow portion of the key hole slot, thus forming a swivelconnection between the cap 10 and the stem 15 permit-- ting of therotation of said cap without twisting or distorting the bulb 13. Formedwith the lower end of the stem 15 is helical convolutions 18 which, whenthe cap section is drawn to assume a position fully expanding the bulb,en ages with the hub 19 of a disk valve 20, t e hub 19 being connectedwith the body of the valve by means of arms 21. These arms arepositioned for limited sliding movement within slots 22 provided in theenlarged upper end of the tube 7. Exteriorly the upper end of the tubeis threaded for'the reception of a stop nut 23, which serves to limitthe upward or opening movement of the valve when the latter is forced toan open position by theengagement of the convolutions 18 of the stemwith the hub 19 of the valve.

The wall6 of the barrel is provided in this instance with a plurality ofarcuate slots 24 which are normally closed by the valve 20 but whichpermit of communication for fluid flow between the chamber 5 and theinterior of the bulb 13 when the valve 20 is raised by the movement ofthe cap section In the use of my device the accordion bulb is normallyfolded inside of the cap section 10, where it is concealed andprotected. Then to fill the en with a writing fluid the point 2 isinserted into the ink or other fluid in the usual manner. The capsection is then unscrewed from enga ement with the barrel 1 and manuallyraise thus'expanding the bulb and creating a vacuum, causing through thepressure differential thus established a flow of the ink into thechamber 5 of the barrel and also into the tube 7. The raising of thevalve 20 permits; air inflow from the barrel 1 into the bulb 13 so thatwhen the cap section is then forceddownwardly it closes the valve 20 andpreventsthe expulsion of the ink from the chamber 5 and forces the airwithin the bulb out through the open end of the tube 7 to theatmosphere. The cap section is then pulsated upwardly and downwardlyuntil all air is driven out of the barrel and a complete filling withink is secured. The valve lifting rod or stem 15 constitutes an improvedfeature of the present invention in that it serves to positively openthe disk valve 20 for the purpose of establishing an even air pressurein all parts of the pen. The filler will operate without the valveoperating rod or stem, but the action is slower and without Eositiveassurance of constant reliability.

y adding the lifting rod speed in o eration is secured and in additionthe possi ility of the valve sticking is eliminated. The lifting rod orstem also acts as a check and permits the bulb to be raised or expandedonly to the re uired extent. Furthermore, the stem or ro operates topositively connect the removable cap section with the barrel of the pen.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fountain pen, a barrel provided with an ink receiving chamber, acap section removably connected with the upper end of said barrel, acollapsible bulb secured to said cap section and the upper end of saidbarrel and formed to be disposed within the confines of said cap sectionwhen the latter is secured to said barrel, said bulb being incommunication with said ink chamber through a restricted ort formed inone end of said barrel, and a va ve normally positioned to close saidort but responsive to the expansion of said Bulb to open said port andestablish communication between the ink chamber and the interior of saidbulb.

2. In a fountain en, a barrel formed to include an ink cham er, a bulbof collapsible material secured to one end of said barrel, there being arestricted port formed in one end of said barrel to establishcommunication between said ink chamber and the interior of said bulb, avalve normally positioned to close said port, and a member movable inunison with said bulb and arranged for co-operation with said valve topositively move the latter to a position opening said port when saidbulb assumes a predetermined position of expanslon. Y

3. In a fountain pen, a barrel provided.

with an ink-chamber, a cap member removably connected with one end ofsaid barrel, a bulb of flexible material connected with said cap memberand with said barrel, the interior of said bulb being in communicationwith said ink chamber by means of a restricted port, and a valvenormally positioned to close said port and responsive to the expansionof said bulb to admit of the opening of said port.

4. In a fountain pen, a barrel provided with an ink chamber, a capmember removably connected with one end of said barrel, a bulb offlexible material secured to said barrel and cap member, the interior ofsaid bulb being in communication with said ink chamber by means of arestricted port, a valve normally closing said port and arranged to beopened and closed by the expansion and contraction of said bulb, and atube passing through said ink chamber and in open communication at oneend with said bulb and its other end terminating in the lower portion ofthe ink chamber.

' 5. In a fountain pen, a barrel formed to include an internal inkreceiving chamber, a

cap member removably connected with the upper end of said barrel, a bulbof flexible material secured to said cap member and barrel, the interiorof said bulb communicating with said ink chamber through a restrictwithan ink receiving chamber, a. cap section removably connected with theupper endof said barrel, a collapsible bulb secured to the upper end ofsaid barrel and formed to be disposed in a collapsed position within theconfines of said cap section, said bulb being in communication with saidink chamber through a restricted port formed in one end of said barrel,and a valve normally positioned to close said port but responsivetoot-he expansion of said bulb to open said port and esta lishcommunication between the ink chamber and the interior of saidbulb.

In testimony whereof'I afiix my signature.

' FRANK B. GHAMBERLIN.

ed port, a valve arranged to open and close i said port uponthe'expansion and contraction of said bulb, a tube passing through saidink chamber and establishing communication between the interior of saidbulb andink chamher, and a guide stem secured to said cap member at oneend and having its other end loosely positioned within said tube.

6. In a fountain pen, a barrel formed to include an internal inkreceiving chamber, a cap member removably connected with the upper endof said barrel, a bulb of flexible material secured to said cap memberand barrel, the interior of said bulb communicating with said inkchamber through a restricted port, a valve arranged to open and closesaid valve when said bulb assumes a predeter-' mined position ofexpansion.

'7. In a fountain pen, a barrel provided

